A world of interests will be covered during this autumn’s lineup of guest authors and other special events at Greenwood’s StoryFest.
StoryFest first takes note of this summer’s record-breaking heat by welcoming Silver Donald Cameron, one of Canada’s most prominent environmental writers/journalists. He’ll introduceGreen Rights: The Human Right to a Healthy World, a documentary that he wrote and hosts about the powerful impact of this right in Ecuador, Argentina, the Philippines, and the Netherlands. The film also features the dramatic fight for environmental rights in Canada and the United States. The documentary builds on his book Warrior Lawyers: From Manila to Manhattan: Attorneys for the Earth, which he’ll also discuss.
The festival next looks at sports health with iconic Canadiens’ goalie Ken Dryden. The legendary Hab will discuss Game Change: The Life and Death of Steve Montador and the Future of Hockey. It is the latest of nine books by the top 100 NHL player, former Member of Parliament, lawyer, professor and, of course, accomplished writer.
StoryFest then features one of Goodreads’ 40 Hottest Thrillers(2018) when Montreal author and lawyer Catherine McKenzie discusses The Good Liar, her latest psychological drama set in Chicago, as well as her other global bestsellers that have been translated into French, German, Portuguese, Czech and other languages.
Canadian literary legend and Senator David Adams Richards subsequently takes us to Mexico where a Canadian heiress experiences unfortunate circumstances in his 17th novel, Mary Cyr. The winner of the Giller Prize and the Governor-General Literary Award for both Fiction and Non-Fiction will be StoryFest’s breakfast guest this year.
The festival then strikes a perfect chord by inviting Canadian and world-renowned classical guitarist Liona Boyd to share No Remedy for Love, the title of both her autobiography and latest CD. Her new memoir relates how she lost her ability to perform at one point, the emotional rollercoaster of her divorce, past loves including her relationship with Pierre Elliott Trudeau, her experience performing for leaders around the world, and the joy of learning how to sing.
Novelist, poet and TV writer Zoe Whittall prompts us to search inside ourselves with her latest novel, The Best Kind of People. What would we do if we discovered that a person we love is capable of doing awful things? Winner of the 2016 K.M. Hunter Award and several other literary prizes, this co-recipient of the 2018 Canadian Screen Award for Best Writing in a Variety or Sketch Comedy Series might also share what it’s like to work on CBC’s humorously daring Baroness Von Sketch.
Global intrigue arrives with Ian Hamilton, the author of the Ava Lee series popular in numerous countries. His latest book, The Imam of Tawi-Tawi, is his 11th Ava Lee novel. All of them have been optioned for movies or television. Hamilton was recently chosen by BBC Culture as one of the top 10 crime/mystery/thriller authors from the last 30 years to have on our bookshelves.
Michael Redhill generated headlines last year by winning the $100,000 Giller Prize when he only had $411 left in his bank account. His prized novel, Bellevue Square, has readers chuckling as a Toronto woman searches for her double in Kensington Market. Redhill has garnered rich praise in Canada and abroad for his writing for some time: his Consolation novel was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, and his Martin Sloane novel was a Giller finalist.
Last but certainly not least, Alissa York will take us back to the days of Darwin with her latest novel, The Naturalist. It has amateur naturalist Walter Ash unexpectedly returning to his forgotten Amazon birthplace. The novel earned the 2017 Canadian Authors Association Award for Fiction. York’s international acclaim includes being on the long list for the 2009 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and the Giller short list for her earlier novel, Effigy, along with several prizes for her short stories.
Bilingual storyteller Sylvain Rivard will take the younger set into the aboriginal world of engaging tales at StoryFest for Kids.
StoryFest will also encourage story creation by having memoirist Marjorie Simmins, who recently authored Year of the Horseabout her love of and mishaps with horses, lead the Let’s Write a Memoir workshop.
There’s also Movie Night (and Day), featuring The Children Act, starring Emma Thompson and Stanley Tucci, which is held in partnership with the Hudson Film Society.
As always, all events (except the writing workshop) are open to StoryFest passholders. This year’s packed lineup is available for a pass price of $110 (a $165 value). The passes, as well as single event tickets, can be purchased at Boutique Pure Art, 422 Main Rd., in Hudson, Quebec, or on line atwww.greenwoodstoryfest.com. (They will also be sold at the door if seats remain available, but it’s best to buy ahead to avoid disappointment.) The StoryFest for Kids admission is by donation.
Full Schedule of Greenwood’s StoryFest 2018:
Sept. 21: Silver Donald Cameron – Hudson Village Theatre at 7:30 p.m.
Sept 22: Marjorie Simmins – Let’s Write a Memoir workshop at Greenwood at 11:30 a.m.
Oct. 4: Ken Dryden – Hudson Village Theatre at 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 10: Catherine McKenzie– Hudson Village Theatre at 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 13: David Adams Richards– Stephen F. Shaar Community Centre at 10:00 a.m.
Oct. 17: Liona Boyd– Hudson Village Theatre at 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 19: Zoe Whittall – Hudson Village Theatre at 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 20: Sylvain Rivard – StoryFest for Kids, Stephen F. Shaar Community Centre at 10 a.m.
Oct. 22: Ian Hamilton– Hudson Village Theatre at 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 24: Michael Redhill– Hudson Village Theatre at 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 28: Alissa York –St. Mary’s Hall at 2 p.m.
